1. Field of Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of imaging. More particularly, this invention relates to geometric and photometric calibration of cameras.
2. Art Background
It is often desirable in imaging systems to determine the 3D geometry of an image scene using 2D photographs of the image scene. A determination of 3D geometry of an image scene enables the automatic modeling of images scenes and may be employed in a variety of applications in entertainment, including the modeling of large-scale movie sets, real estate, architecture, and mechanical design, to name a few example applications.
The determination of 3D geometry of an image scene from 2D photographs usually includes determining a geometric model for the camera. A geometric model for a camera typically indicates where a point in a 3D image scene appears on an imaging surface of the camera. A geometric model usually includes a set of intrinsic parameters of the camera. The intrinsic parameters of a camera are usually associated with a projection of a 3D image scene onto the 2D imaging surface of the camera.
The process of determining a geometric model for a camera including its parameters is commonly referred to as camera calibration. The calibration process if effective usually enables the accurate projection of a point in the image scene onto the imaging surface of the camera.